When Sony introduced its NEXFS100
camera some new ground
was broken in terms of its Super
35-sized sensor, AVCHD recording codec
with frame rates of up to 1080/60p at 28
Mbps, native E-mount lens system adaptable
to Sony Alpha, Canon, Nikon or PL-mount
lenses and, of course, its sub-$6,000 street
price. But despite these innovations, I found
the FS100 wanting in several respects—notably
its lack of internal ND filters, SDI output,
useable top handle and bottom mounting
plate. With the NEX-FS700, Sony has
overcome many shortcomings of the FS100
and has added features while keeping the
camera in the sub-$10K price range.

FEATURES

Like the FS100, the FS700 is a rather odd-shaped
camera. It feels like those medium-format
cameras I used to shoot back in the
days of 120 film. Sony provides any number
of ways to configure the camera, however,
and numerous third-party vendors offer rigs
and accessories.

The modular camera has a removable top
handle that bolts on securely and has front
and top shoe mounts, as well as four mounting
points on top. The handle is bolted so
securely that it is safe to carry the camera
even with a moderately heavy lens such as
a PL prime. Don’t need the handle? Remove
it. Don’t like it? Buy a third-party handle.

Moving to the body, there are two 1/4-
20 holes with metal sockets planted in front
of the pop-up viewfinder and you’ll find
even more secure mounting points on the
camera bottom. Sony has clearly learned
its lesson from earlier cameras with plastic
mounts that led to breakage.

The right side of the camera sports a
rosette to which any rosette attachment
may be bolted. Sony provides a side handle
for this rosette mount that has start/stop,
photo and auto-iris buttons (for Sony autoiris
lenses, of course). This side handle also
contains a zoom rocker, which is currently
nonfunctional and reserved for a future lens
product. As an owner/operator of a Sony
PMW-F3, I was disappointed to find that
Sony has cluttered this model with yet another
rocker with minimal or no use.

The FS700’s LCD display pops up from
the camera’s top and can be viewed directly
or through the supplied magnifying
loupe—which is essentially the same loupe
found on the PMW-EX3 or F3 (optional).
The attachment is a little plastic-y but works
effectively. However, it feels awkward viewing
the image from above the camera, no
matter whether the camera is handheld or
mounted on a rig or tripod.

There are controls all over the unit, but
they feel less cluttered than on the FS100, which again makes this camera an
advance
over the original design. You should definitely
expect a period of adjustment while
you learn where all the controls are located
before you’ll be able to work most effectively.

I like the six preset buttons on the camera’s
left side, which may be customized.
The presets correspond to typical Sony options—
zebra, peaking, histogram and marker—
and two new ones, last scene and face
detection.

I need to note that camera controls are
not where operators of larger cameras will
expect them. However, this is the way it
is with many smaller cameras, not just the
FS700.) White balance, for example, is on
the side. I’ve come to expect white balance
on the lower left front of the camera beside
the lens mount. Likewise, the shutter control
resides on that left side.

The FS700 is powered by Sony NP-F970
or NP-F770 batteries. The battery compartment
is recessed, so it’s a bit awkward to
insert the smaller battery. With optional DC input, many users will simply
choose to use
external V-mount or Gold-mount batteries
stepped down to the appropriate voltage
by third-party battery mounts.

The camera has two XLR inputs, but they
are oddly located: one is below and to the
right of the handle; the other is at the rear.
The FS700 has HDMI and SDI outputs (the
FS100 is HDMI only), as well as composite/
component outputs. A Micro USB connector
links the FS700 to a computer to transfer
data or update firmware. Finally, on the
right side of the camera is a plate covering
a slot for the optional 128 GB memory unit ($800). A LANC port allows
attachment of
Sony’s LANC controller unit ($1,040).

The camera ships with an external mic
holder. I have been critical in the past of mic
holders on most cameras in this price range.
However, the FS700 offers the first holder
I’ve seen that probably won’t break in the
first week of use—or maybe ever, for that
matter.

The FS700 records to a single SDHC,
SDXC or Sony Memory Stick card. Files are
saved in .mts format, which can be read by
virtually every NLE. The camera records
1920 x 1080 in 60p (28 Mbps data rate),
60i, 30p and 24p. Additionally, it records in
1440 x 1080 modes, 720p, and also at SD
resolutions. Like all AVCHD codec cameras,
the color sample ratio is 4:2:0, with 8-bitsper-
sample. In fact, internal processing of
the camera is 8-bit, meaning that its SDI and
HDMI output are also 8-bit.

IN USE

Sony has been touting the FS700 as 4Kready.
Indeed, its Super 35 Exmor sensor has more than 11 megapixels and is capable of
resolving 4K. Sony has announced 4K support
for the FS-700 that’s estimated to arrive
this summer. Users will need to purchase
Sony’s HXR-1FR5 interface, estimated to be
in the range of $1,600. The interface unit
connects to the camera’s SDI port and will
mate with Sony’s new AXS-R5 4K recorder
($5,350 street price). This is the same recorder
which attaches directly to the new
Sony F5 and F55 cameras. (In addition, Sony’s
senior product manager, Juan Martinez,
has stated that “current cameras will require
a hardware level update,” which as of this
writing, Sony has not specified.)

The second innovation, “Super Slow Motion”
recording, is actually the first feature
I tested. The FS700 records in Super Slow
modes of 120, 240, 480 and 960 fps. Resolution
of 120 and 240 fps video is a full 1920
x 1080; at 480 and 960 fps, resolution is reduced.

The camera will record specific durations
of Super Slow Motion, all the way
down to about 19 seconds of 960 fps. The
camera buffers the recording and writes
to the card when the recording stops. The
documentation says it could take up to six
minutes to write to the card. The faster the
frame rate, the longer the write. (In one test
of about 12 seconds of 960 fps video, it took
close to five minutes to write to the card.)

With shutter set to match, the camera’s
slow motion is remarkably strobe- and artifact-
free. Clips may be played back in camera
and require no conversion when imported
into your NLE. As with any offspeed
recording, please note that the camera cannot
output overcranked footage via its SDI
or HDMI ports. You must record internally.

Recording higher frame rates requires
more light. While all large-sensor video and
DSLR cameras demonstrate good light sensitivity,
the FS700 surpasses even this high
bar with the ability to boost the gain up to
+30, or about 16,000 ISO. The FS700’s Exmor
sensor, like that in the FS100 and F3,
is amazingly noise-free. Expect some noise
at 16,000 ISO, of course, but shoot at even
3,200 ISO and you’ll be amazed.

The camera ships with a native E-mount
lens mount and an optional 18-200 mm f3.5-
6.3 Sony auto lens. I tested the model with
the bundled lens. Sony now offers the LA-E2
adapter ($400) to adapt the camera to the
full line of Sony Alpha lenses, including the
Sony-Zeiss glass.

I was disappointed with the LA-E1 on the
FS100 because of its lack of many automatic
functions, slow response and tendency to
stop down the lens completely and then set to desired aperture when changing
aperture
manually. All of these shortcomings
are remedied with the LA-E2 adapter for the
FS700. The response is fast, and the camera
will auto-focus and invokes auto-iris easily.
Also enabled is the built-in face recognition
auto-focus function. This is a nice consumer
feature, but I don’t believe it is relevant for a
professional using the FS700 in a cinematic
application.

Third-party adapters are available for
Nikon, Canon and PL-mount lenses.

As I mentioned, one major shortcoming
of the FS100 was its lack of built-in ND
filters. By redesigning the front end of the
camera—in fact borrowing from the F65
design—Sony was able to include a three-position
ND filter on the FS700 for ND up
to six stops. (Sony cameras in this range
have virtually all had only two positions of
ND.)

The FS700 offers four CineGammas.
These may be invoked in user-created picture
profiles. While I’m mentioning picture
profiles, a number of users have created
profiles (easily downloadable) and Abel-
Cine has a whole set available free on its
Website.

Sony still has not addressed a shortcoming
I see on all of its cameras in this price
range: the only level indicating “scope” included
with the camera is a histogram. I
personally find a waveform monitor much
more useful and wish Sony would consider
adding it.

SUMMARY

The FS700 is a worthy addition to Sony’s
NXCAM lineup, as well as to its Super 35
sensor strategy. I tend to resist comparisons,
but I think it’s important to note that the
FS700 isn’t exactly a baby F3; it is an 8-bit
camera without much of the image post-processing
of the F3. It lacks a log gamma
curve. Note, however, that AbelCine’s picture
profiles contain a log emulation profile. However, as the FS700’s sensor is the
same as that in the F3, picture profiles can
be used to match cameras, the FS700 and F3
cut very well together. I would not hesitate
to use an FS700 as a B-cam to my F3, particularly
if I needed super-slow-motion footage.

What is the target market of the FS700? I
find far too many shooters attempting to use
large-sensor cameras for run-and-gun applications,
not realizing that the shallow depth
of field of Super 35 cameras makes this a
difficult proposition. Outfitted with the appropriate automatic
Sony E or Sony
Alpha lenses, the
FS700 is a suitable
run-and-gun camera,
though I wouldn’t
try it without a
third-party rig—it’s
just too awkward to
handhold the FS700
(even with the rosette-
attached grip)
for longer than a few minutes.

It’s in independent film and documentary
production that the FS700 shines. This
camera is compact and affordable, delivering
a sharp image with tremendous versatility.
Between offerings from Sony and third-party
vendors, it can be configured in an
almost unlimited number of ways.

I recommend it strongly.

Ned Soltz is an independent shooter,
editor and producer as well as consultant
and general technology guru. With more
than 30 years experience, he learned to
shoot on a “Sony portapack” and edit reel-to-
reel tape. In addition to current production
and consulting projects, he is a contributing
editor for Digital Video magazine.